Wrapper-sealing machine.



E. L. son's, M. J. B-AKBM; A. REITMEYER. WRAPPER SEALING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED 00130, 1913.

s SHEETSAHEBTL TNESSES mvENToRs k N MS Jami?!" Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

E. L. SONS, M. J. BAKEM; AIRBITMEYER.

WRAPPER SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30, 19 13.

1,109,259, Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHBET 2.

H INVENTOR ,L.6an5-- F M.JT5jabe/? a. melfiweye g E. L. sons, M. f; BAKER & A. REITMEYER.

WRAPPER SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, 1913.

Patented Sept. 1, 191? 3 SHEETSSHEET3- S Y E s s E N W w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST L. SONS, MICHAEL J. BAKER, AND AUGUST REITMEYER, OF PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORSfllO M. A. BAKERS SONS, OF PITTSQUBGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, A. COPARTNERSHIP.

WRAPPER-SEALING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1,' 1914.

Application filed October 30, 1913. Serial No. 798,828. I

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, ERNEST L. SONS, MICHAEL J. BAKER, and AUGUST REITMEYER, citizens of the UnitedStates of America, re-

* 5 siding at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in rapper Sea-ling Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a wrapper sealing machine, particularly adapted for use for the purpose of sealing the end folds of a wrapper which incloses a loaf of bread, and has for its object to provide a machine of such class, in a manner as hereinafter set forth for continuously conveying the wrapped loaf after being fed to the machine, through the machine to prevent any possibility of the wrapper and the bread being scorched, in view of the fact that during the operation of sealing and while the wrapped loaf is conveyed through the machine, the wrapped loaf is subjected to a plurality of heated conveyors.

In machines in general use for sealing the wrapper of a loaf of bread, the wrapped loaf is fed by hand by the operator and each subsequent loaf fed is utilized to shift a preceding loaf through the sealing machine, therefore it is obvious that if the operator should delay in shifting the wrapped loaves by supplying additional loaves, that the loaves which are not shifted would not only become scorched, but also the wrappers which surround the loaves as the sealing operation is carried on witha hot base and a pair of hot side plates, and to overcome or rather to reduce the scorching of the wrappers and bread to a minimum, is the primary object of this invention and such object is attained by employing a hot base plate in the form of a traveling conveyer and associating with the said traveling conveyer a pair of side plates, these latter being in the form of traveling conveyers, the conveyers associating with each other to continuously shift the wrapped loaf when supplied to the machine at the same time the conveyers which are utilized for the hot side plates sufliciently heat the end folds of the wrapper for sealing them, and such sealing action is had, in view of the fact that the wrappers now generally employed for loaves of bread are-formed from parafiin aper.

A furt ier object of the invention is to provide a sealing machine for thepurpose set forth provided with means, in a manner as hereinafter set forth whereby the machine can satisfactorily act upon different lengths of loaves, that is to say the elements of the machine being adjustable so that the side conveyers can be shifted to rovide for different lengths of loaves to o tain a satisfactory sealing of the end folds of the wrappers.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a sealing machine for the purpose set forth, which is extremely simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, efficient in its use, conveniently employed, adjustable for operation upon different size loaves of bread, readily set up and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arran ement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come. within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views :-Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sealing machine in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 4 is an end view, Fig. 5 is a cross section, and Fig. 6 is an end view, partly in section of a modified form of heating element.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 denotes a rectangular frame having journaled therein at one end thereof a drlve shaft 2, and which has also journaled therein at its other end a shaft 3.

Mounted upon the shaft 2, between the side bars of the frame 1, is a drum 4:, and mounted upon the shaft 3, between the side bars of the frame 1, is a drum 5, the drums 4, 5, are fixed to their respective shafts and revolve therewith. Traveling over the drums 4, 5, is an endless conveyer plate 6, which is preferably formed from asbestos but any other suitable material can be employed. The shaft 2 is extended for connection to a prime mover not shown. The diameter of the drums 4, 5, is such that they project above the top of the frame 1, whereby the conveyer 6 will have its upper portion arranged above the top of the frame.

Projecting laterally from each side of the frame 1, near each end of each side is a grooved supporting arm. The supporting arms are indicated by the reference characters 7,8,9and 10, and are arranged at thetop of the frame 1. Adjustably mounted in the arms7 to 10 are adjustable supporting brackets 11 to 14 respectively. Each of the supporting brackets consists of a base 15, which is slidably mounted in its respective supporting arm and extending upwardly from the base 15, is an arm 16, having formed integral therewith a C-shaped support 17, each of the arms of the latter being enlarged at. its free end as at 18 and formed with a vertically disposed opening. Depending from the lower arm is a lug 19. The lugs 19 of the brackets 11, 12, are connected together by a longitudinally extending bar and the lugs 19 of the brackets 13,

14, are also connected together by a longitudinally extending bar. The longitudinally extending bars are indicated by the reference character 20, and each bar centrally thereof is provided with a depending;

lug 21 formed with an opening 22, the latter being provided with a threaded wall. Extending through and engaging with the threaded walls of the openings 22 is an adjusting bar 23, provided with a hand wheel 24. By such an arrangement when the hand wheel 24 is revolved in one direction, one pair of brackets is shifted toward the other or when the hand wheel 24 is revolved in the opposite direction, one pair of brackets is shifted away from the other pair. Each of the brackets 11 to 14 supports a vertically disposed shaft 25, to which is fixed a flanged drum or spool 26. Traveling over the drums or spools 26, supported by the brackets 11, 12, is an endless apron or conveyer 27, the latter being formed preferably of asbestos. Supported by the drums; or spools 26, which are carried by the brackets 13, 14, is an endless apron or conveyer 28, the latter being formed preferably of asbestos. The conveyers 27, 28, overlap the conveyer 6.

The brackets 11, 12, are connected together at their top by a-longitudinally extending suspension member 29 and the brackets 13, 14, are connected together at their top, by a longitudinally extending suspension member 30. The members 29, 30, are adapted to suspend an adjustable heat conveying'element which will now be referred to.

The adjustable heat conveying element consists of two thin angle-shaped plates,

preferably constructed of copper, the vertical arm of one plate being indicated by the reference character 31, the horizontal arm by the reference character 32. The said herizontal arm 32 is offset as at 33. The vertical arm of the other plate is indicated by the reference character 34 and the horizontal arm by the reference character 35. The horizontal arm 35 .overlaps the offset portion 33 of the horizontal arm 32. The plates of the heating element are adjustable toward and away from each other and are furthermore adjusted simultaneously with the ad justing of the pair of brackets'and to enable such adjustment, the vertical arm 34 is secured to the member 29 and the vertical arm 31 is secured to the member 30. The holdfast devices as indicated at 36 are employed for securing the vertical arms of the plates to the suspension members. The vertical arm 34 extends up between the conveyer 27, the vertical arm 31 extends up between the conveyer 28, and the horizontal arms 32, 35 extend between the conveyer 6.

Arranged below the horizontal arms 32, 35, is a series of gas burners 37, which are connected to a gas supply pipe 38. The burners are utilized for heating the horizontal arms 32, 35, and which in turn will cause a heating of the vertical arms 31, 34, under such circumstances the heat will be conveyed not only to the conveyer 6, but also be conveyed to the conveyers 27, 28. The vertical arms 31, 34, arepositioned in close proximity to the inner sides of the conveyers 27, 28, and said vertical arms are utilized for the purpose of heating said conveyers.

The conveyers 27 28, are operated simultaneously with the operation of the conveyers 6, and for such purpose the shafts 25 of the brackets 11, 14, are driven from the shaft 2. The shafts 25 of the brackets 11, 14, are providedwi'th beveled gears 39, which mesh with beveled gears 40, carried by the shaft 2. The beveled gears 40 are longitudinally adjustable on the shaft 2, but keyed thereon as at 42. Theshaft 2 extends through the lugs 19 of the brackets 11, 14, and under such conditions it is obvious that when the. brackets are adjusted, the gear wheels are moved in the direction in which the brackets move.

The frame 1 is provided at one end with a discharge plate 43.

The purpose of ad'usting the conveyers 27, 28, is to provide or wrapped loaves of different lengths.

As the conveyers 6, 27 and 28 are heated, it is obvious that as the wrapped loaf is conveyed through the machine the paraffin wrappedloaf discharged from the ma chine, it is placed upon a cooling table or if desired in a cooling chamber, under such conditions the wrapper is sealed.

The conveyer 6 acts upon the bottom of the wrapped loaf while the conveyers 27, 28, operate upon the end folds of the wrapper, and by setting up the conveyers in the manner as stated so thatthey will simultaneously operate, the wrapped loaf is continuously transported through the machine and under such conditions prevented from being scorched by the hot conveyers.

The form of heating element as' shown in Fig. (3 consists of a pair of L-shaped tele scopic hollow members 44, 45, the latter extending into the former and one end of each of the members has an outlet 46, while the other end has an 'inlet 47 for the entrance of a gas flame. Any suitable arrangement of burners can be employed in connection with a hollow heating element. The members 45, 46, when the hollow heating element is employed, are secured to the members 29, 30, and said members 44, 45, are positioned in the same manner as the angle-shaped plates of the other heating device.

\Vhat we claim is 1. A wrapper sealing machine comprising a pair of opposed horizontally extending heated conveyers operating on the ends of the wrapped package for sealing the end folds of the wrapper, a longitudinally extended heated conveyer operating on the bottom of the package for sealing the bottom of the wrapper and arranged below the horizontal conveyers, a two part heat transferring element having both of its parts associated with said longitudinal conveyer, one part associated with a horizontal conveyer and its other part with the other horizontal conveyor, means for heatin said element, and means for operating sai conveyers.

2. A wrapper sealing machine comprising a pair of opposed horizontally extending heated conveyers operating on the ends of the wrapped package for sealing the end folds of the wrapper, a longitudinally extended heated conveyor operating on the bottom of the package for sealing the bottom of the wrapper and arranged below the horizontal conveyers, a two part heat transferring element having both of its parts associated with said longitudinal conveyer, one part associated with a horizontal conveyer and its other part with the other horizontal conveyer, means for heating said element, means for operating said conveyers, and means for adjusting said horizontal conveyers with respect to each other and for simultaneously adjusting the parts of said element.

3. A wrapper sealing machine comprising a pair of opposed horizontally extending heated conveyers operating on the ends of the wrapped package for sealing the end folds of the wrapper, a longitudinally extended heated conveyer operating on the *bottom of the packa e for sealing the bottom of the wrapper and arranged below the horizontal conveyers, means for operating said conveyers, means extending between each of said conveyers for heating them, and means for simultaneously adjusting said horizontal conveyers and said heating means.

4. A wrapper sealing machine comprising a series of continuous movable heated sealing elements operating upon the end folds and bottom of the wrapper for sealing the latter during the transporting of a wrapped package by said elements, a heating element for said sealing elements, means for adjusting certain of said sealing elements to provide for diflerent sizes of paclrages, and for simultaneously adjusting said heating element.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST L. SONS. MICHAEL J. BAKER. AUGUST REITMEYER.

Witnesses:

NICHOLAS L. BOGAN, MAX H. Snonovrcrz. 

